CHENGDU, Dec. 16-- More than 80 stone Buddha statues and statue fragments were unearthed in southwest China's Sichuan Province, archaeologists said on Tuesday.

The red sandstone statues were found in a 500-square meter plot near the ancient walls in Qingyang District, Chengdu, the provincial capital, according to the Institute of Archaeology in Chengdu.

Dating estimates have put ages of the finds to be from around the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589) to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the peak of China's stone Buddha statue art, said Yi Li from the institute.

This discovery will contribute to research on religious art in China. The statues have been sent to be restored.

In addition, porcelain, pottery, building material and coins were also found during the excavation.